These UBF international conferences are prime times when it comes to spiritual abuse in UBF. This is the time when UBF leaders and members won't take no for an answer. The "registration battle" is in full tilt. People have to pay out of their own pockets to register their "sheep" who may not even plan to attend or who have little interest in attending despite UBF members' assurances that the conference is like a "preview of the kingdom of God". The registration charts showing who is "working hard" and who is "lazy" cover large sections of UBF center walls.

People are being forced to take time off from their jobs to attend this conference, even if their bosses have already said no, even if they could jeopardize their jobs, to attend this conference to "encourage" someone; for people overseas, this time off could be a week or two weeks. People overseas who have been turned down for visas repeatedly are being ordered to apply again and again at their own monetary expense to attend this conference to "encourage" someone. Basically, sacrifice everything to go to this conference by any means. For what? To "encourage" whom? Isn't it to "encourage" the UBF bosses who seem to have a pathological need to congratulate themselves through artificially generated numbers? This is a definition of spiritual abuse from the book, "The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse", and it applies to these UBF bosses:

"There are spiritual systems in which. . .the members are there to meet the needs of the leaders. . . These leaders attempt to find fulfillment through the religious performance of the very people whom they are there to serve and build. This is an inversion of the body of Christ. It is spiritual abuse."

These are times when the spiritual abuse in UBF really stands out. I hope the people who are forced, coerced, guilt-tripped and deceived into attending this conference can see that.

It's reported that Chicago UBF is holding car washes and yard/garage sales to raise money. For the local food bank? For the homeless? No. For conference registration fees and airfare. When you have UBF leaders calling the conference a "heavenly feast", I guess it's not surprising to see this type of screwed up value system at work.

The question that needs to be asked is, why would international "delegates", students in poor foreign countries, be cajoled/pushed/manipulated to come to this conference when they can't afford it? It's so the UBF missionaries and directors can show off their "fruit"; this fits the classic definition of spiritual abuse. And also the conference show is designed to induce the kind of UBF euphoria that binds these sheep closer to UBF.

no matter if you have childrens sick, no matter if you no have job, no matter if you no got permission from your parents, just matter going to that conference because there you will experience part of the heaven and you will grow more... and bla... bla... bla...

once I heard this not just for my self, and if someone resist, the answer was go and sell cellular phone card in the streets, ¿can you imagine a enginnier studet doing that or a graduate?

another case more usual is to tell "liders" leave your job as an example for the "sheeps" that can not overcome them selvesyou most not love world and another bla... bla... bla..I guess this time in UBF is something sick and crazy and insane for insiders and paranoics liders suffer too much just for numbers that in the final some people as Ms Timothy Rhee in Guadalajara or Ms Abraham in Mexico just invent

1Pe 2:15 For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 1Pe 2:16 Live like free people, and do not use your freedom as an excuse for doing evil. Instead, be God's servants.